We were lucky to catch up with Ryn Eckert recently and have shared our conversation below.

Ryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a creative? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job? Can you talk to us about how you think through these emotions?

I ask myself that question a lot, especially as someone who is still very much underground and unknown in the music world. But even growing up in school, though I was placed in AP classes and leadership orgs., I never truly felt the desire to work hard at that. I would always rather spend hours listening to music, studying music videos, or practicing guitar until my fingers calloused over.

The work that we were required to do in school was work that ultimately left me uninspired and with much to desire elsewhere. Whenever I think about what it would be like to have a regular job, I remember how incredibly unhappy I was in my 9-5 job right outside of college, equipped with a 401K plan, quarterly bonuses, and scheduled holiday get-togethers. I think about how out of place I felt in that kind of environment with suffocating cubicle walls and water-cooler talk. That is what inspires me to keep pushing forward in music. Life is too short to not strive for excellence in your passion.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My music and my brand have been through a twisty/turvy saga of sorts. I started out making country pop music when I was 16 under my given name, Katie. I was heavily inspired by the likes of Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood and thought, “Well heck, they’re blonde. I’m blonde. They can write and sing. I can write and sing. If I follow the formula, why can’t I be like them?” I was heavily invested in country music’s story-telling lyricism, and wanted to become known for that in my music.

A job I had in college involved me washing dishes and the cook in the kitchen would always play R&B and Hip-Hop music, 2 genres my parents did not expose me to growing up. It was alluring and raunchy, melodically intellectual, and stood for something. It was something I felt I had been missing my whole life. One night and a couple beers in at a friend’s house, I was playing around on a friend’s letter board and put the letters “RYN” together. My birth name is Kathryn and something in me told me I needed to rebrand and start making music outside of what I always knew from childhood.

Fresh out of the pandemic, I started out making R&B for myself and featuring my vocals on EDM and House music. It was an exciting and enriching experience making music that I felt aligned more with my soul. However, I still felt like something was missing. I was now making music about sex and flings and material things that didn’t matter. I lost that story-telling part of me that made me want to make music. Unfortunately, my personal life involved a lot of alcohol and drug addiction as well. Today, I am 2 1/2 years sober, which has immensely helped my mental health and creative process.

For SEO and SEO purposes only, I now choose to go under the moniker Ryn Eckert. I kept RYN of course, but added my mother’s maiden name at the end so that people can find me and identify me easier now. My plan for Ryn Eckert is to keep making R&B music that melodically feeds the soul but start writing lyrics again that speak to the soul, like the music “Katie” made. I want to cover addiction, loss, heartache, adulting, family drama, toxic friendships, and more.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are 2 books that have heavily impacted my life and outlook on not only the industry and my own artistry, but my personal growth.

Me: Elton John’s memoir, is one I heavily resonate with because of his addiction issues early in his career and constant struggle to seek parental approval.

With The Emperor of Sound: Timberland’s memoir, it is incredible to take a look into how his parent’s musically raised him that allowed him to gain an appreciation for all types of music, lending itself to his future signature sound. The people he hung out with in high school back home in VA, like Missy Elliot and Pharrell, and how they all lifted each other up in their careers through the hard times and the not so hard times. It’s important to keep a tight knit circle and never burn bridges. You just truly never know whose star is going to shine brighter than yours and when.

I love reading memoirs by celebrities that inspire me because it reminds me that at the end of the day, we are all just human and have the same human struggles. Doesn’t matter how much money you have or Grammy’s sitting on your mantle. We are all just trying to make it.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

After graduating from college in 2021, I had the goal to get a comfortable and decent paying full-time job in the music industry and be able to make connections from there to pave my own way in music. Saying this now, it doesn’t even really make sense. It is just about near impossible to find an entry level music industry job that pays a decent living wage. Even more so, no one at your music industry job will care that you do music, even if they say they do. It’s practically a dead-end networking venture.

To paint a prettier picture, I recently pivoted majorly in life. I quit my 9-5 job and am now back working in the service industry, like I was in college, making more money than I was in my 9-5 job. It’s not glamorous. I come home smelling like food and soap and my whole body hurts. The beauty of it though, is once I leave work for the day, I actually leave. In my 9-5, I was spinning my wheels on the job and at home having to reply to emails and submit work. It became a lifestyle and career that I realized I didn’t want. It didn’t fit me after all.

Being back in the service industry makes me more motivated than ever to achieve my dream to succeed in music because there is no more safety net. It is now or never. At least, when I’m older, I can say I went for it and tried my best, which to me, is priceless. I’ll never have to wonder “What if?”

Contact Info:

• Website: linktr.ee/ryn_eckert
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ryn_eckert/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ryneckert/
• Youtube: https://www.facebook.com/ryneckert/